


You Take My Breath

by Lumieerie



Series: Serendipity [2]
Category: The Tarot Sequence - K.D. Edwards
Genre: Basically asks him on a date in the process, Building Relationship, Ciaran tends to Kellum's wounds, M/M, Major Character Spoilers, Not Beta Read, Vows, Warmup, do not read until after THM and the deleted scene with Ciaran, mentions of assault, not graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:01:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25831735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumieerie/pseuds/Lumieerie
Summary: A rowdy client meant flinching and shouting and bruises and screams and struggling and-“Kellum.” Ciaran’s voice is as gentle as the ocean where Kellum hailed from. His iridescent eyes demand Kellum’s attention and Kellum is all too willing to give it.
Relationships: Ciaran/Kellum Greenwater
Series: Serendipity [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1855936
Comments: 8
Kudos: 10





	You Take My Breath

Neither of them know how they got here. 

Well, Kellum _knows_ how he got here. He’s not proud about it though. 

The Honey Pot was full of business as usual and Kellum never has a shortage of clients. They all want the same thing: sweet words of praise and fake moans of pleasure all for an ego booster. Kellum is just as good at giving as he is receiving, but today was different. 

A rowdy client meant flinching and shouting and bruises and screams and struggling and-

“Kellum.” Ciaran’s voice is as gentle as the ocean where Kellum hailed from. His iridescent eyes demand Kellum’s attention and Kellum is all too willing to give it. 

Ciaran is an Atlantean Principality- an Arcana hiding in plain sight, but Kellum can’t help calling on Ciaran when these things happen. They happen more frequently than he tends to admit. Ciaran, however, always seems to show up at the right time and Kellum had not hesitated to call for the Magician’s help. 

“I’m right here,” Kellum snaps, voice raw with the memory of nails digging into his arms, pressing into the scales that he hides with magic. He does not regret calling for Ciaran’s help, but he does regret that it led to them alone in his room with the man giving him attention as if he were important. 

He’s not important. Not enough to waste Ciaran’s time, at least. Which is why Kellum _wants to resent him;_ because why would this supposedly powerful man pay attention to an Atlantean enemy. A merman. Kellum was invisible to anyone who didn’t pay money for his time but he was nonexistent to those who despised merfolk. He was not invisible to Ciaran and _that_ thought both scares and confuses him. 

“Don’t get snippy when I’m trying to help you.” 

Even when he chides Kellum, Ciaran sounds patient. Kellum hates it. He is too used to the snarky, confident, and playful persona Ciaran wears in public around everyone else. Gentleness should not come from the lips of a trickster. 

“I didn’t-” Kellum stops himself before he finishes. The rest of the sentence would have been a lie. 

Ciaran graciously ignores that feeble attempt at a response and instead lifts a wet cloth to Kellum’s arm. “Did they hurt you anywhere else?” He presses the cloth down and Kellum hisses. When Kellum tries to pull his arm away, Ciaran tightens his grip, though he also lightens his patting. “I forgot about your scales,” he apologizes. 

“I hide them for a reason,” Kellum answers as if that explains everything. It doesn’t. After a minute of trying to avoid Ciaran’s gaze, Kellum adds, “No they didn’t hurt me anywhere else. Can we get this over with? The faster I heal the faster I can make money.”

Ciaran purses his lips. Kellum pretends he doesn’t know the exact shade of red that they are. “If you hate working here so much, maybe you should find another job.” He has something else to add, Kellum can tell, but that is all he says. 

“I didn’t choose this.” He doesn’t explain further. He can’t. How did he tell someone that, like the females of his species, he has to seek males for sperm as well. He has sex for money because it physically hurts him not to. He can’t just give that information away. Ciaran could use it against him or even mock him or worse… 

With a placating nod, Ciaran pulls the cloth away and gently runs a thumb across Kellum’s skin. He smiles when Kellum shudders. “When is the last time you took your glamour off?”

While thankful for the topic change, Kellum still does a double take. “Last time I…” He trails off, loses himself to his thoughts. “Too long,” he settles on. 

“Next time we meet, we should go swimming.” Ciaran’s eyes glitter with excitement at his own words. 

Kellum stares at him, a mixture of shock and awe bubbling deep within him. “We can’t do that!” Though even as the protest comes out, he imagines himself swimming in cool water, most likely hidden away from prying eyes, and can practically feel his glamour shifting away. He could swim and not hide himself. But- 

“Sure we can! I will find us a place.”

He narrows his eyes at Ciaran. “What’s the catch?” Because even through the excitement, Kellum can’t bring himself to trust it when someone invites him anywhere. Especially not Ciaran with his unrelenting power and schemes. He could be luring Kellum into a trap for his scales or something else. 

“I saved you in a pinch and want your company as a favor. I don’t particularly enjoy this place and I can see that you don’t want to hide this-” he gestures to Kellum’s mirror where they can both see a mer in place of a man. “-so it’s a good idea.”

It’s not a good idea, but Kellum finds himself smiling hesitantly. “Promise me there’s no ulterior motive.” Only a fool would dare make an Arcana promise them something, but Kellum had nothing left to lose. Not when he was stuck in a terrible job and had no other purpose than to boost client’s egos. 

Red lips curl upward and Kellum pretends that that action doesn’t fill his stomach with warmth. “There is no ulterior motive. I have no ulterior motive. There will never be an ulterior motive for your company, Kellum Greenwater.” 

Little sparks fill the air, bubbles emitting from Ciaran’s lips and popping the moment Kellum realizes two things. The first is that Ciaran just gave him his oath. The second is that Ciaran spoke fluent Mermish and gave his vow to Kellum _in_ Mermish. 

He would be lying if he said his heart did not flutter at the symbolism behind Ciaran’s words and language choice. Kellum smiles for the first time that night and holds out his hand. “Then I suppose I will accept,” he says. 

“It’s a date,” Ciaran finalizes with a grin. 

**Author's Note:**

> I am writing this series for my own self indulgence and for like 3 other people and that's very sexy of me


End file.
